Paris Saint-Germain have secured their place in the Champions League semi-finals following a decisive victory over Liverpool, courtesy of a clinical brace from Ousmane Dembélé. With Mo Salah leaving the Reds, two big-name strikers have been presented as possible replacement.
The French champions broke the deadlock in the 72nd minute when the Ballon d'Or winner scored his first goal. As the Premier League side pushed forward in search of a late equaliser, Dembélé struck again during added time.
PSG also beat Liverpool in the first leg, 2-0 as well, winning 4-0 on aggregate. The result marks a recurring heartbreak for the Merseyside club, who have now been eliminated from the Champions League.
Salah's Departure
Exiting the Champions League was already devastating but Liverpool is about to face another depressing situation. Salah had already confirmed that he is finally parting ways with the Reds on a free transfer at the end of the current season.
The Egyptian striker's impending departure marks the end of a prolific era at Anfield. Without Salah, Liverpool expects to navigate a difficult transitional period.
Speaking in the aftermath of the PSG defeat, Liverpool manager Arne Slot acknowledged the gravity of Salah's nearing exit. According to Slot, the club is about to encounter a 'big challenge' in the forthcoming transfer window and would have to make crucial decisions.
'I think much is being said recently and maybe by many people also through this year that the club is in a transition,' Slot told Amazon Prime via Metro. 'We've sold eight to ten players to recoup money to sign four, five, six very talented and good players'.
'Now we are losing Mo [Salah] and Andy Robertson on a free transfer as we lost Trent [Alexander-Arnold] on a free transfer, and this model of the club means we have to sell usually to buy,' he continued. 'It's a big challenge, it was already last season and it's going to be a challenge in the summer again'.
Liverpool is Being Urged to Sign Two Potential Salah Replacements
Salah has been one of the most prolific goal scorers of his generation. Everybody in the sport is well aware that finding a suitable replacement for him is easier said than done.
However, former Premier League striker Emile Heskey thinks he knows a few strong candidates who fit the bill. For Heskey, West Ham's Jarrod Bowen might be a 'downgrade' but still a good option.
On the other hand, PSG's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and AC Milan's Christian Pulisic, both Champions League champions, could be Liverpool's top choices.
'I don't think you can replace Mo Salah, but I do like the lad from PSG, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia,' Heskey told OLBG via OneFootball. 'He would be my go-to. Would Jarrod Bowen be a downgrade from Mohamed Salah? I think most players are a downgrade compared to Salah, but to be honest with you, Bowen is a different type of player, and he would probably help the formation because he's going to work a little bit harder than Mo'.
'I'm not saying Mo doesn't work hard, but Bowen has a different work rate and work ethic because he's coming from West Ham and before that the lower leagues. It's totally different,' he clarified.
'I actually quite like Christian Pulisic,' Heskey added. 'He is very direct. He probably didn't get as many goals as I would have liked him to get at Chelsea, but I thought he gave defences problems'.
Given Liverpool's current situation, it would be interesting to see which players would be on their list in the next transfer window.
